B2 Visa Holders from India under Trump 2.0 Scanner for Visa Overstay and Open Return Tickets

Everything from USAID funds to federal spending, H1B visa extension, H4 EAD, F1 OPT program, and ‘dunki’ routes for illegal immigration is under the ‘Trump 2.0’ scanner. Even B1/B2 visa, a record number of which is issued to Indians every year, is not exempt to the restrictive measures in the new US government. After liberal issuance of the US tourist visa to a fair percentage of two million Indians who traveled to USA in 2024, denial of B2 visa is again in the news.

The difficulty of cracking US visitor visa interviews has increased manifold in recent times. The viral news of B2 visa rejection to a 27-year-old senior Data analyst on career break brought it to the public notice one month ago. He wanted to visit his sister in California before he would start MBA studies at Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. But he was denied the US visitor visa under 214(b) though he showed a receipt of Rs 7 lakh paid to the B-school demonstrating his strong intention to come back to India for higher studies.

 

Six months ago, ‘How to crack B2 visa interview’ was trending after Arun Yogiraj, the famous sculptor of Ram Lalla idol for Ayodhya Ram Temple, failed to get a US tourist visa for a World Kannada Conference in Virginia and other events in the east coast. US visa delays and denials are common stories these days. Rejected visa applicants are scouring through Quora, Reddit, and Facebook for guidance on common reasons for B2 visa rejection.

Visa overstay during your past visit to USA is one of the most common reasons for B1/B2 visa rejection. If you extended your stay in USA for medical emergency or any other unavoidable reason, which was not reported to the concerned authorities, you are likely to face rejection of B2 visa renewal due to overstaying the visa period. In January 2024, an elderly couple from Gujarat were denied boarding to a Mumbai-Atlanta flight as their visa was revoked without their knowledge. Leaving no space for visa overstay is one of the promises that President Trump had made during his election campaigns.

What is being strictly enforced on the US visitor visa holders in Trump’s America is their arrival with confirmed return flight tickets. Previously, B1/B2 visa holders from India were able to enter the US with open flight tickets for return journey, taking advantage of loopholes in the system. Open tickets are unscheduled tickets for passengers with uncertain travel dates. It allows passengers to schedule their travel within a period stipulated by the airline. But not anymore! In the last week of January, an NRI shared that his parents on B2 visa were denied entry at Newark Airport because their return flight was not confirmed (they had open tickets).

Visa rejections not only ruin one’s travel plans but also cause dismay and incur financial losses. Over the past 12 months, the rejection of tourist visas to several countries including the US, the UK, and the UAE has cost Indians Rs 662 crore in loss. The US visa rejection rate accounted for 16.5% of every 100 visa applications submitted in 2024. With a shorter Dropbox eligibility window for Indians, B2 visa applicants are bracing for a turbulent road to America, from longer in-person interview wait times to potential travel disruptions.